Portable handheld electronics such as mobile phones, and the like, are subject to damage from being dropped or hit into. Damage can include the battery cases being accidentally opened, to the electronic device itself having to be replaced. Various sleeve devices have been used over the years, but these devices often cannot be used with all types of handheld electronic devices such as IPods® and iPhones® manufactured by Apple Computer.
Additionally, many portable electronics are used with headphones, such as earphones, and the like. However, the loose headphones with their cords makes these accessories often difficult to store when not being used. Merely wrapping the cord around the portable electronic device is undesirable, as well as unsightly, and can cause these parts to become damaged over time. Thus, the need exists for a way to protect headphones and their cords when not being used with the portable electronics devices.
U.S. Published Patent Applications: 2004/0204165 to Huang and 2005/0255898 to Huang each describe different types of cellular phone cases having some type of a retractable headphone. However, Huang '165 requires the housing be extra wide to allow the headset to be pulled in along one side of the cellular phone. In addition to creating substantially extra space that can defeat the purpose of having a small cellular phone, this patent requires the cord rewinder to be located at the bottom of the case, which can cause the cord to become tangled and stuck when retracting along the inner side of the case. Additionally, the outer end of the headpiece still remains outside of the case and is not fully protected when retracted, with the exposed end being a snag type hazard. Also, the hanging appearance the of head piece does not create an aesthetic appearance.
Huang '898 does not fix these problems and in fact has the head piece itself remains substantially outside the case when retracted where it can become damaged from its exposure since it is unprotected as well as being a snag hazard. Furthermore, Huang '898 requires a part of the cord to have to hang below the case, and requires the plug to be separately plugged in, which also increases potential damage to the stored phone as well as create another snag hazard. Additionally, the hanging appearance of the head piece and lower hanging cord do not create an aesthetic appearance. Thus, both Huang references teach and describe undesirable types of cases with retractable cords.
Still furthermore, most cases and covers for portable electronic devices such as for cellular type phones are limited to only protecting the electronic device itself. Often the user would need to separately carry beverage accessory devices such as but not limited to bottle cap openers when traveling. Placing a separate bottle cap opener in one's pocket is undesirable, and can easily be forgotten. Also, small devices such as bottle cap openers can be easily lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,494,239 to Riccardi issued February 2009 shows a “bottle opener” that can attach to the back of cell phones, where the bottle opener is angled out and can also be used as a belt clip. However, this clip substantially sticks outside and away from the case and would take up undesirable space and would not allow the case to be placed in a pocket such as the breast pocket for storage. Additionally, such as clip can easily snag onto the clothing or other items of the user and would not be desirable.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2006/0146483 to Patino describes a “battery door cover bottle opener” that serves as a cover for a battery and an audio output. However, the location of the opener can result in bottles causing damage to any exterior speaker on the electronics device. Also, the low location of the opener on the back of the housing would require the user having to grab the upper antenna end of the case to open the bottle, which can potentially damage both the antenna and the upper delicate electronics part of the electronics device that is being housed therein.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.